Technical Field
The present invention relates to a vehicle control apparatus and a vehicle.
Related Art
A vehicle control apparatus is known that uses a sensor, such as a millimeter-wave radar, to detect an object that is present ahead of or behind and to the side of a vehicle. The vehicle control apparatus then performs a predetermined control on the vehicle based on the detection results (for example, refer to JP-2008-171082). For example, pre-crash safety (referred to, hereinafter, as “PCS” (registered trademark)) is known as a type of control that is performed based on the detection result of an object ahead of the vehicle. In PCS control, the vehicle is made to perform an operation when the likelihood of a collision between the vehicle and the object detected ahead of the vehicle is determined to be high. The operation that is performed is, for example, an operation to avoid collision (such as a warning or automatic braking) or an operation to reduce impact caused by a collision (such as automatic braking or automatic seatbelt retraction).
In addition, for example, blind spot monitoring (referred to, hereinafter, as “BSM”) is known as a type of control that is performed based on the detection result of an object present behind and to the side of the vehicle. In BSM control, the vehicle is made to perform an operation when another vehicle is detected in a target area. The target area is relatively near the vehicle and is a blind spot behind and to the side of the vehicle. The operation that is performed is, for example, an operation to notify the driver by light, sound, vibrations, or the like that another vehicle is present (an operation that calls for attention, gives warning, or the like). BSM is also referred to as blind spot warning (BSW).
Situations in which another vehicle enters the target area for BSM control are as follows. In a first situation, the other vehicle enters the target area from behind in accompaniment with the other vehicle overtaking the vehicle that performs BSM control. In a second situation, the other vehicle enters the target area from the front in accompaniment with the vehicle that performs BSM control overtaking the other vehicle.
As described above, BSM control uses the detection results of objects present behind and to the side of the vehicle acquired from a sensor. In the first situation, the other vehicle enters the target area from behind, which is located within the detection range of the sensor. Therefore, in the first situation, BSM control can be performed with a certain amount of accuracy or higher.
However, in the second situation, the other vehicle enters the target area from the front, which is located outside of the detection range of the sensor. Therefore, in the second situation, the accuracy of BSM control may decrease. In this way, it may be difficult to perform BSM control with high accuracy in both the first and second situations.
In addition, it is difficult for the sensor used in BSM control to differentiate between a state in which the cruising vehicle is approaching an area on the road in which a wall is present from an area in which a wall is not present, and a state in which the vehicle is overtaking another vehicle. Therefore, the following situations may occur.
For example, regardless of the vehicle actually merely approaching an area on the road in which a wall is present, a determination may be made in BSM control that another vehicle is present within the target area. An unnecessary warning operation may be performed. Conversely, regardless of another vehicle being present within the target area, a determination may be made that a wall is present within the target area. The warning operation may not be performed.
As described above, the conventional technologies have room for improvement regarding improved performance of BSM control. The above-described issue is not limited to BSM control. Rather, the issue is a common issue in control operations in which another vehicle is detected in an area behind and on the left/right side of the vehicle.